MORGANTOWN — As West Virginia’s football camp moves into its second week of practice there remains a three-pronged battle at quarterback between a pair of holdovers from behind Geno Smith in Paul Millard and Ford Childress.
But there’s a newcomer who probably is the leader in the clubhouse because really, he is no newcomer at all.
While Millard and Childress are from Texas, Clint Trickett is as West Virginia as pepperoni rolls and buckwheat cakes. He grew up here, the son of former WVU assistant Rick Trickett, and, in truth, always wanted to play for the Mountaineers.
What’s more, he is not a newcomer to big-time football action, either, his first meaningful action having been unlike few other quarterbacks anywhere.
It was 2011 and he was a redshirt freshman, coming in for E.J. Manuel, who would eventually become a first-round NFL draft pick. Manuel was injured while trailing No. 1 Oklahoma, 13-3, in the third quarter, with Trickett coming on in relief.
The FSU run game was non-existent, gaining four yards on 13 carries, and Oklahoma was just teeing off on the pass rush.
Trickett, though, would have none of that. On the first snap he went deep and drew an interference call, completed two passes in a row, then hit a 24-yard seam route to set up a field goal.
Later, with 10 minutes left to play and FSU down 13-6, Trickett found receiver Rashad Greene with a perfect pass that went 56 yards for a tying touchdown against the nation’s No. 1 team.
Even though Oklahoma eventually won the game, Trickett was the toast of Tallahassee and, a week later, starting against unbeaten Clemson in Death Valley, he passed for more than 100 yards and a 57-yard TD in the first quarter that showed he had both skill and arm strength to get things done.
So, how come he transferred here after the spring quarter, especially since Manuel is gone from FSU?
Trickett’s biggest reason was he always had wanted to play at WVU, but couldn’t work it out.
In truth, Trickett wanted to come out of high school and as recently as after the last fall semester, but he failed a class that left him just short of enough credits of graduating in two-and-a-half years.
Don’t be knocking his intelligence for failing that class.
“I tried to take 18 hours during the season while playing football. That was rough. I almost did it,” he said.
So Trickett stayed in the spring, went through spring football but failed to win the starting job, adding to his desire to leave.
“Things were uncomfortable down there with Dad being on the staff,” he admitted. “I don’t want to get into that too much but it was really uncomfortable and I had to get out.”
One can only imagine what it was like, especially knowing his father’s method of coaching. Rick Trickett is an offensive line coach and he’ll raise his voice on occasion, sometimes with X-rated conversation, and might even throw his ball cap at you.
You could see how that might make things a bit uncomfortable among teammates, and then with the head coach passing him over for the starting job other feelings could be strained.
Of course, had he won the job in the spring ….
“It would have been a little tougher to leave. I would have had to sit down with my family,” Trickett said.
As he looked for a place to play, WVU topped his list.
“After spring, I knew I was coming here. It was a no brainer. I’m from here. I’m a West Virginia kid,” he said. “It didn’t really work out when I graduated high school. I didn’t get recruited then by WVU because it was running a different offense.”
Other schools approached Trickett when word got around he was transferring, but he wasn’t buying what they were selling.
“During the second recruiting process, some other schools were pretty quick to say the job’s yours if you want it. I didn’t like that because it’s college football. You’re going to have to compete wherever you go. I didn’t trust it when schools said that,” he said
Holgorsen on the other hand said only that he would have a chance to compete for the starting job.
“I trusted Dana when he said ‘I’m not promising you anything but you will get a chance,’” he said.
So now Trickett is here and starting over. Jimbo Fisher ran a pro-style offense at Florida State compared with Holgorsen’s up-tempo Air Raid attack.
“Everything here is progression where everything was coverage based. I have to go through the reads and stay on this and always be ready to throw on a second’s notice. Everything down there was fifth step, the ball’s out,” he said.
He’s learning new terminology, new techniques, dealing with new players and how to run an up-tempo offense.
“That definitely is a difference. You have to go, go. You have to forget the last play,” he said.
And then there’s the idea of competing for the job.
“I competed against E.J. the first two years and I competed this spring. I’m used to competing. Anywhere you go, you are going to have to compete. It’s part of the game,” he said.

Matt Davis, a former four star QB who was the third ranked dual threat QB according to Rivals, is leaving Texas A&M. I always thought A&M has had sick QB depth, between Manziel, Davis, and Kenny Hill and they have arguably the best QB in the country in Kyle Allen coming in next year. Between Davis and Hill, and with Allen coming in, it always seemed like something had to give and one of them was going to leave eventually.

I've seen this happen a many of times, one being Damon McDaniel a 4-Star FSU recruit who left the program for Hampton. He was a better WR prospect than teammate Percy Harvin on the HS level.

As for Bell I salute him for wanting to become a father figure first, and no one should put him down for his motives because no one knows his situation. I just hope he finishes school.

__________________

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeJoeBrown
The most important thing, however, is how strong their swagger factors are.
Newton
South of the Mason Dixon +10 swagger
Barely literate +5 swagger
Thief +15 swagger
Kicked off of a team of thugs +20 swagger
Big, average speed -3 swagger
Hasn't done jacksquat on the field +15 swagger
Total Swagger: 62ATL College Park Zone 3* +20 swagger Bonus pts

Was he going to be drafted at all? Doesn't change my mind either way, great for him wanting to grow up and become a father over anything, I commend that, I just wonder if he could've made some money in the NFL even on a practice squad.

Ohh so now he may be coming back to the team tomorrow? Saban never takes no for an answer.

huh?

__________________

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeJoeBrown
The most important thing, however, is how strong their swagger factors are.
Newton
South of the Mason Dixon +10 swagger
Barely literate +5 swagger
Thief +15 swagger
Kicked off of a team of thugs +20 swagger
Big, average speed -3 swagger
Hasn't done jacksquat on the field +15 swagger
Total Swagger: 62ATL College Park Zone 3* +20 swagger Bonus pts

Now, before everyone loses their mind, I will go further into detail on which players are talking to which and which players ‘factions’ are influencing each other.

Terry Richardson is close friends with Taco Charlton and has had conversations with the freshman DE that Michigan is not the place for either of them and that by transferring to a southern school (perhaps UCF, USF, Louisville) they could play instantly in the 2015 season. Richardson has been nothing short of a bust since arriving on campus, both as a player and due to his work ethic/attitude. Taco was convinced by Michigan coaches that he would start in 2013 if he enrolled early and gave up his last 5 months of high school.

Taco has not gotten playing time and the feelings are that Michigan lied to him. Is that true… not likely, it is more likely that he just isn’t talented enough. But, the way he sees it, Michigan misled him in order to land him as a recruit.

Kyle Kalis. Frankly, Kalis was sold on the fact that Ohio State was in transition, would likely struggle for his entire career, and that he could be the super star of Michigan’s team for 3-4 years. Kalis was also sold on the fact that Michigan O-line coach Darrell Funk could teach him the technique to become an All-American player and get drafted high in the NFL Draft…. Let’s just say that none of those promises are believed to be true by Kalis and those close to him.

Could we have a Justin Boren V 2.0? Potentially – word is that Kalis is super obsessed with Ohio State and Urban Meyer and longs to play in his home state for his dream coach.

Blake Bars is rumored to be just plain unhappy: with the team, the coaching, the losing/near-losses and the Ann Arbor cultural scene. Look for Bars to explore his options for a transfer to Memphis.

Derrick Green, Hoke’s prize career-making recruit. Green has apparently not seen eye to eye with his position coach, mostly due to playing time and the fact that he believes lesser talented players are getting snaps over him due to experience, something Green was promised would not happen at Michigan. Green is also disgusted by the lack of offensive diversity at Michigan and, like Kalis, is very jealous of the play calling in Columbus that Carlos Hyde is enjoying as RB for the Buckeyes. Green is a guy who may stay due to family pressure, but also may look into the possibility of switching uniforms and suiting up for either Ole Miss or Tennessee.

Jenkins-Stone and Smith are not nesscisarily actively looking around, but are guys who
don’t see a future at Michigan given that their classmates at the same position have grossly out-performed them and they both have too much pride to sit on the bench for another 3 seasons.

Come back to Chat Wolverines for the latest Michigan football news on this situation in the coming days.

Sophomore tight end Kent Taylor, true freshman quarterback Max Staver, redshirt freshmen fullback Rhaheim Ledbetter and offensive linemen Quinteze Williams and Trevon Young will transfer. Junior offensive lineman Ian Silberman, who is graduating on Saturday, plans to play his final season at another school.

don't know. didn't really see the field at florida and clay burton did. if it wasn't injuries then he is just really bad

I went back and looked, apparently FSU had concern over the size of his shoulders and ability to get any bigger (all recruits go through some pretty advanced tests at one point). But he's what, a RS-Freshman or true Sophomore?